Chicago

Infants Guide – Chicago

In the US, school is not mandatory before 5 years old (kindergarten), which means that before this age, you have to find a solution for your youngest children if both parents are working.

For children aged from 0 to 2 years old, the solution is either a part-time or full-time nanny according to each families’ particular situation. It is common that American mothers (and in some cases, fathers, depending upon who has the higher salary) stop working with the birth of the first child as daycare for babies is rare. Very few companies provide daycare services on site for working parents and nannies are expensive. Therefore, mothers (or, again, sometimes fathers) stop working as it costs more money to have a child in daycare than the usual salary of the one of the parents. Unfortunately, before 2-3 years old, there are very few options.

For children aged from 2 to 5 years old, however, children can attend pre-schools. Be careful when choosing one as there is a large diversity of pre-schools that each has its own philosophy. The main ones are:

• Montessori schools known for fostering independence.
• Waldorf schools for their creativity.
• the High/Scope method sets personal goals for kids.
• Bank Street focuses on child-centered education.
• the Reggio Emilia approach follows a child’s natural development.

Daycares

Private pre-schools in Chicago:

They are a lot of possibilities in Chicago. You have to be aware that private pre-schools may have a religious affiliation. You can find Catholic or Jewish educational organizations on one end of the spectrum, and on the other, private pre-schools that are a part of a larger school (i.e. elementary, middle and high-school). Some other private educational organizations focus only on children aged from 3 to 5. The pre-schools listed below are either part of larger private schools with no religious obedience or specialized and private pre-schools.

Montessori Schools in Chicago:

There are lots and lots Montessori schools in Chicago. Montessori schools are usually associated with pre-schools but they have classes and curriculum for students up to 6th grade. If you are interested in this kind of pre-school, especially for young children, it is recommended to look in your neighborhood (for example, mothers who have children the same age as yours). There is no central database for all of the Montessori schools in Chicago, or in the USA, in fact. One good resource is http://www.amshq.org/schls/il.html. Be aware that “Montessori” is not a patented name and any school can claim to teach the Montessori method. Make sure to research any school thoroughly to ensure that you receive the education you desire for your child/ren.

One highly regarded Montessori pre-school is the Park View Montessori School located in the same block (and same building) as the French Lycee. The school contact information is 640 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613-3106. Phone: (773) 477-6122. http://www.chicagomontessori.com/

Children from 2 to 6 years old have serveral options. There is a 3 or 5 day program (half or full day) for children 2-3 years old. For pre-schoolers (3 to 6 years old), you can choose between a 5 half day or 5 full day program.

The Chicago public Schools (CPS) Tuition Based Pre-school (TBP) program:

This program is an initiative from the Chicago Mayor R. Daley to create pre-schools within some of the Chicago Public Schools. There are only 15 Chicago public Schools Tuition Based Preschool programs in the whole city of Chicago. This program currently offers a 38 week, full-day, educational and child care program for 3 and 4 years old children. The tuition for the 2009-2010 school year is $9,120 without meals. Meals can be purchased at school or brought from home. To be sure to have a spot, it is advised to start the application process between October and January of the previous academic year, as children are selected on a first come, first served basis. There are around 20 and 22 children per class. There is no school boundary for this program, which means that you do not need to live in the boundary of the school district to apply to this program. Nevertheless, school boundaries apply starting at the kindergarten level for CPS schools. Here is the list of the CPS schools with a TBP program:

Toddlers’ Groups

There are numerous toddlers’ groups in Chicago. You will find them mainly on Meetup: http://www.meetup.com. Here are some examples:

• Big City Babies – Infant & Toddler playgroup of Chicago http://www.meetup.com/bigcitybabies/
• Lincoln Park Moms http://www.meetup.com/lincoln-park-moms/
• Millennium Park Playgroups http://www.meetup.com/Millennium-Park-Playgroups/
• The Ark Playgroup in Lincoln Park http://www.meetup.com/LincolnParkPlaygroup/
• Toddlers’ Playhouse* LTD http://www.toddlersplayhouse.org/ 3338 North Broadway Chicago, Illinois 60657. Ph.: 773 529-4740 and/or ssch733@aol.com

*This is a winter-season playgroup. You have to be a member. They offer enrollment for a full 32 week session or two (2), 16-week sessions. Toddlers Playhouse offers two hours of play from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Price: $250.

Nannies

Nannies are used as full-time or part-time day care providers for young children. And most of the time, they live out, although some families hire an au pair for a year at a time. Au pairs may be from the USA or from abroad, but typically live with the family. When the children start to go to school, some families may employ a baby-sitter to pick up the children and do homework with them until the parents return in the evening. Most of the families, however, use after school programs within the school.

Word-of-mouth is a good way to find people. There are also several agencies and organizations are on the market to help parents to find a nannies, baby-sitters and au pairs:

• First Class Care: http://www.firstclasscare.com (nannies, housekeepers, baby sitters, chef, elder care, house managers)
• Nannies for Hire: http://www.nannies4hire.com (nannies only)
• Sitter city: http://www.sittercity.com (nannies, baby sitters, elder care)
• Au Pair in America: http://www.aupairinamerica.com

Nannies normally receive between $12 and $20 an hour depending on schedule, experience, education, number of children and other benefits.